Sketchy At Best's blog: "Health"

Greetings...whoever is left that I used to talk to and is still here,

 

  I hope all of you are well, I just wanted to check in, and let you know that I had my year anniversary from my back surgery, and so far, so good.  I've worked all year with no difficulties, have had no flare ups of the horrific leg pain that I battled and you all got to hear about, and am pretty much back to normal.

  I am still fighting depression, and am still too stubborn to go see someone about it.  I am so used to feeling blah, that I wouldn't know how to act feeling healthy AND happy.

  I did manage to tear up my elbow.  The Dr says that it's just tennis elbow, but after 3 months of regular pain, I am starting to doubt his abilities to diagnose elbow pain.

  At work, I have had a horrible year for catching rash's.  If it starts with the term "Poison" I do believe I had it this year.  Something has messed up my body chemistry, because I've fought fungus issues all year also.

  In summary, I have slowly fallen apart since I hit 40.  Yay Me.

  One of the reasons I have fizzled out is that I'm battling some pretty bad depression, due to a variety of personal things.

  I could come on here, and be bitter in the Mumm's, and give rates that mean absolutely nothing because you can only get real points by spending money, but I don't see the point in pretending to be social, when all I really want to do is crawl in a hole and die.

  I won't be seeing a Dr, It won't get batter any time soon, so don't expect anything earthshattering from me in the near future.

  Thank you for those who stop by, it is a ray of light in an otherwise dreary existance.

 

13

It's official, my Dr. has released me to go back to work. So I went back to work, on call, with no problems.I won't go back full time, just on call. It's still snowy and icy here in the great state of IL, so my boss and I don't think it's in my best interest to walk around, and chance tearing my back up again. I have started back at the Y. So far some light cardio, and some very light weights. No more than 50 pounds as per the Dr, and I don't even go near that. Just stretching some things out. Thank you all for being so patient, and putting up with my year of misery. It affected me more than I like to admit, and I appreciate everyone sticking by me. Jay

It has been 6 days since my surgery, and I feel better every day. The hardest part getting used to, is that I sleep on the average of 12 hours a day. I am used to 6 on a good day, so all this extra sleep is just so foreign to me. I feel like I'm missing out on things. But I do get on the computer a few times a day, and I'm actually making an effort to get on Fubar, doing some rating, getting in the swing of things. I cannot tell you how much the messages from some friends on here have meant to me. I've tried my best to be a pretty good egg, and when I got on the first time, and read them, it was better than any medicine they could have given me. But DG, Freak, Cyndi, Vodkagurl....so many I'll miss them...thank you so much for being such special people in this part of my life. I hope to tell each and every one of you in person some day just how great I think you are. I'm hoping to be able to get a VIP soon, so I'll put up the good, the bad, and the ugly from lately. Actually, they glued the skin, so less scarring will occur, so it doesn't look that bad. I will try to get some pics soon, as soon as I get a VIP Thank you all again Jay

Well, I had my surgery Tuesday and it is a success...so far anyway. He had to remove almost 60% of my disc, but in turn, I have no more leg pain. I do have oodles of other pain, and it really hurts to walk, but practice practice practice. I apologize to those of you who sent messages asking for help, but I've been preoccupied with this. But I should be off work till around Mar 1st, so I'll spend more timeon here. Jay

I officially have surgery tomorrow at 1230 tommorow. I should probably be home on the 13th. I'll post when I get home, unless I die. 13

It's been a few weeks, and for the loyal 3 or 4 who check these, here's an update. The shots I got have helped some. I wake up in pain, but as soon as I start walking around, everything loosens up, and I feel almost normal. Surgery is Nov 11th, I go home the 12th in theory, and then a week later the incision is checked, and a month later I get the followup. I can't wait. I don't have the really bad pain. I was put on a medicine used on seizure patients, which makes the numbness and pain go away in my leg, and It's been in my system for a few weeks, and it seems to help some. I think that's what its for, the original was for that, but was deemed too expensive by my insurance company, so they replaced it with this. All I know is I take Vicodin once or twice a day, and this once or twice, and I feel better than I have in 8 months. Thats about it. I promise no more blogs today, and I won't bore you with health ones, unless I take a turn for the worse, until after the surgery. Thanks for your support.

I'm old!!! AND I get surgery Nov 11th to shave the bone in my back, and move the nerve, so its not pressing, and the pain and numbness in my leg will go away...in theory. Dr. McCall says that there is an 85-90% success rate for this type of back surgery, and as they go, not many complications. I won't need a brace after, and I won't be able to drive for a month. By mid January, I should be able to go back to work doing light duty. No lifting over 10 pounds for 6 weeks after. I'm so stoked, I can't wait!!!

Yesterday, I took the day off from work, and went to IVCH to get shots into my back, in the hopes that they reduce the herniation, helping it heal, and then leaving my poor nerve alone, thus giving me some pain relief. When I went in, I was really hurting, probably a 7 on a scale of 10. I hadn't slept well, which I'm sure added to it, but it was acting snarky the day before, so I wasn't all that surprised. So we got there early, so I could register, which went rather smoothly. And the girl who coordinates who you register with is just smoking hot. I think that they put her there for guys like me, to totally take my mind off of what was going to happen. So then I went over to the Pain Clinic, and filled out a few forms, and waited for ten minutes or so. Then the wonderful nurse came, and took me back, and I got prepared for Dr Clok. So when he came in, he was a little older than me, and I liked him immediately. He put me at ease immediately. He explained what he was going to do, told me how much it would hurt, was very honest, and was excellent. Once we got down to business in the room, he started explaining his music choice, about how the nurses revolted, because they were sick of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. So he took the time to burn a CD of mellow U2 songs. We then discussed music until he was done. He even went to see Slipknot in Winston Salem a few years ago, because he was alone shopping for furniture, and was curious as to what all the rave was about them. He agreed with me that they were very entertaining. The shots, while this was all happening, hurt. They started out with a sharp needle, to get in there. Then they switched to a dull pointed needle, so when by the nerve, the risk of hitting and damaging it was reduced greatly. And for all the time I was in there, I did have about 45 seconds of intense pain. That doesn't seem like long, until it is happening to you. It was a dull, intense pain. Imagine taking a pole, say the size of one you would use to put weight on, and put 200 pounds on it, and it is on your foot gently.. Take the pain that would be there about a minute into that, and that is how it felt. Now they told me the local anesthetic would make it feel good today, but the actual feeling for my back would be this morning to two days from now. Apparantly today isn't the day, because I am still aching, and probably at a 6 on the pain scale. I think that I'll loosen up though. So thats where I'm at. Have a great day everybody!

Today at 9AM, i was the lucky receiptiant of steroid shots into my spine. I got theere at 830am, and was out by 10ish, in time to eat a bagel. So far, so good. I came home, took a nap, and I'm not in the pain I started the day with. Granted, I was in big pain this morning for some reason, but I do feel somewhat better. He did say that I would really know in the next few days if it worked,and today might not show me any results, but I have some improvement. Tomorrow would be awesome if I awoke with no pain, but thats a pipe dream. So thats where I'm at, I shall keep you all posted tomorrow if there is any change.